Thursday, July 21, 2011

Just jeeps.

As one who’s never had her own car, public transportation’s been my way of life.

Buses, trains, taxis, tricycles, pedicabs… If it’s a way to get around a place, I’ve probably ridden it at least once. Jeeps, as much as I have developed distaste for riding them after the sun’s gone down, are especially unavoidable.

I had quite the traumatic experience almost a year ago and still, everytime another passenger sticks his hand into his pocket, a sharp intake of breath follows and in that fleeting moment, I prepare for the worst… Usually only to realize he’s reaching for coins.

So you can imagine my horror when I chanced upon a jeep that had, blasting through its speakers, a song with a chorus that went

‘Wag ka nang matakot

May nagbabantay sa dilim

May nag-aabang sa sulok

May hawak na patalim

(Roughly translated to: Don’t be afraid. Someone’s standing guard in the dark, waiting in a corner, with knife in hand.)

Which, for one thing, makes absolutely no sense. Why would you not be afraid if someone’s waiting for you in a dark corner with a knife ready? Unless maybe that knife was to slice a birthday cake he baked for you. I DON’T KNOW.

All I know is I have once again averted the dangers of nightly public transportation.

I succeeded in concealing the little bubbles of paranoia swimming in my brain ’til I got home. But now those bubbles are of confusion, trying to make sense of 4 lines in a strange, supposedly comforting song.

The song’s about a guy who lost his girl because she was robbed and stabbed in a dark alley. Then he kind of lost his mind and became a homeless man in that alley with a knife in his hand, ready to defend his (lost) love.

Alertness is a necessity when riding public transport; a little paranoia, just enough to keep you on your toes, is probably okay. I have a rather similar experience:

A few years ago, as I was headed to Taft Avenue with my cousins, we boarded a jeep at Blumentritt. Inside the vehicle were two suspicious-looking men and a young couple. Moments after, two noisy drunk fellows boarded the jeep, inconspicuously making eye contact with the two men behind the driver. I noticed some sort of agreement, based on their eye contact and body language, among the supposed strangers, so we got off at Luneta before any of them could do anything funny. I dunno what happened after, but how I wish that the young couple went down with us at that time. I hope they didn’t appear on the front page of some tabloid the following day.

I don’t blame you. Trust me, once something terrible like that happens to you, you never forget it. I was held up almost 10 years ago and I still haven’t gotten over it. It’s the reason why I insist on taking cabs especially at odd hours.